After a rough start to the summer with June's horrific heatwave, we've had comparatively mild weather. The morning marine layer has kept temperatures below 85F most days, although the heat was back on this past weekend. There's been no rain of course, but the local water district has reduced the restrictions on water use and, as I already had a significant credit in my water budget, I've been watering the garden more. Although it's made a visible difference, floral color is still limited.
The daylilies are done and the few remaining Agapanthus blooms are looking worn. Many of the other plants I featured in July's Bloom Day post are still flowering, albeit less effusively. But there are a few new entrants to the line up.
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| Front and center here are 3 Gomphrena 'Pinball Snow-tip Lavender', one of my latest acquisitions |
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| Polygala myrtifolia 'Mariposa' has finally got its bloom on |
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| Stachys 'Lilac Falls', a Stachys-Lamium hybrid, has been blooming for a while but it's finally spread enough to make an impression (shown here surrounding a flower-less Erigeron 'Wayne Roderick') |
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| Impressed by the success Amy of A Small, Sunny Garden has had growing Catharanthus roseus in desert conditions, I gave the humble vinca another look. This is a new-to-me hybrid form, Catharanthus 'Soiree Ka*wa*i*i'. |
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| Coreopsis 'Desert Jewel' and C. 'Redshift' have just begun their annual bloom cycle |
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| All the ornamental grasses seem to be in bloom but I'm letting Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum', the biggest of the bunch, stand up for all of them |
The blooms of
Eustoma grandiflorum (Lisianthus) that featured prominently in last month's post have faded; however, the plugs I planted in spring are finally producing buds so it appears I'll get another round of blooms on a smaller scale.
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| Blue, ivory and pink forms of Eustoma grandiflorum |
I'm giving the uptick in irrigation credit for producing another small flush of blooms from various plants, including several of my roses.
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| From left to right are a noID rose (possibly 'Angel Face'), 'Buttercream', 'California Dreamin', and 'Ebb Tide'. 'Pink Meidiland' and 'Joseph's Coat' have also produced sporadic blooms. |
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Other surprise blooms have come from, top row: Angelonia angustifolia, Bauhinia x blakeana, and Bulbine frutescens
Middle row: Centranthus ruber, Cistus x skanbergii, and Lobelia valida
Bottom row: Osteospermum 'Berry White', Pentas 'Kaleidoscope Appleblossom', and Pentas 'Nova' |
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| The best surprise was finding a large number of blossoms on the lemon tree at the bottom of the slope. This tree had borne fruit continuously since we moved in 5 years ago, only to drop the majority of the spring crop almost overnight in response to the June heatwave. The fruit that didn't drop rotted in place until we removed it. I've been hand-watering the tree regularly ever since but was surprised to see it already setting new fruit. |
My most dependable shrubs, perennials and ground covers have kept plugging away.
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| The Grevilleas keep on giving. Clockwise from the left, are blooms of Grevillea 'Pink Midget', G. alpina x rosmarinifolia, G. 'Ned Kelly', G. 'Peaches & Cream', and G. 'Superb'. |
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| Other shrubs and perennials with extended bloom seasons include, clockwise from the left: Abelia x grandiflora, Abelia 'Kaleidoscope', Achillea 'Moonshine', Coleonema pulchellum 'Sunset Gold', Cuphea ignea 'Starfire Pink', Gomphrena decumbens 'Itsy Bitsy', and Pelargonium peltatum. The last has turned itself into a climber. |
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| Lantana 'Samantha'and Gaillardia aristata 'Gallo Peach' are very slowly providing ground cover along the back patio |
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| Gazanias continue to be my go-to ground cover for hot, dry areas |
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| Other notable flowering ground covers include: Convolvulus sabatius 'Moroccan Beauty' and Brachyscome 'Enduring Blue' (top), Phyla nodiflora (aka Lippia, bottom left), and Thymus serpyllum 'Minus' (bottom, right) |
And here are a few more that deserve honorable mentions for sticking out the heat of summer:
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| Clockwise from upper left: Duranta erecta 'Sapphire Showers', Alstroemeria 'Claire', Callistemon 'Cane's Hybrid' (which had a spectacular show of blooms just 2 weeks ago), Nierembergia caerulea, Salvia 'Mystic Spires' and Russelia equisetiformis 'Flamingo Park' |
That's it for my Bloom Day selections. It's an impressive show for August, at least from my perspective.
Visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens, our Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day host, for more delicious Bloom Day posts.
As it's Monday, a time some of us also celebrate "In a Vase on Monday," the meme hosted by Cathy of Rambling in the Garden, I also have a floral bouquet to share.
Visit Cathy to see more.
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| Anticipating that the current heatwave will quickly put an end to my rose blooms, I cut several 'Buttercream' roses, some Coreopsis 'Redshift', 'Achillea 'Moonshine', and Gomphrena 'Itsy Bitsy', combining these with foliage of Leucadendron salignum 'Chief' and Leptospermum 'Copper Glow'. The photo on the left shows the arrangement from above and the photo on the right shows it in place on our dining room table. |
All material © 2012-2016 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party
